Direct spinning machine and method



Feb. 14, 1950 c H JR 2,497,511

DIRECT SPINNING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed July 23, 1948 IN VEN TOR.

Char/es Eugene Ne/s/el; Jr.

syg a ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATE NT 'orrlca if?m mififfiififfl? 1Z1. Application Jill! 23,1948, Serial No. 40,209

4 Claims. (Cl. 57-.2)

My present invention relates to the production of spun rayon yarn fromcontinuous rayon filaments.

In producing yarn from continuous filaments by the direct spinningprocess, it is desirable that the staple yarn fibers which are producedby rupturing the continuous filaments of the tow be as long as possiblewithin practical limits. It is therefore an object of the presentinvention to provide a direct spinning machine which is operable toproduce staple fibers of this character.

The above object of the invention and other objects ancillary theretowill be fully understood from the following description considered inconnection with the accompanying illustrative drawmgs.

In the drawings, the single figure is illustrative of the machine andmethod of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the machine comprises' the frontroll II and a companion pressure roll l2 which are rotated at the samelinear or peripheral speed, and a set of back rolls l4, l6 and I! whichare rotated at the same linear or peripheral speed. The bundle or tow ofcontinuous filaments, indicated at F, is drawn from a suitable supply(not shown) and passes between the back roll I! and the companion rollsl6 and I8, respectively, to and between the pair of front rolls It andi2. Said front rolls l and I2 are rotated at a substantially greaterperipheral surface speed than rolls I4, l6 and i8 whereby the filamentsare tensioned and ruptured into staple fibers.

In accordance with the present invention, the front roll it isconsiderably larger than the front roll of the usual direct-spinningmachine, and means, preferably an endless flexible belt or web 20, isarranged to press the fibers against the peripheral surface of saidroll. Said Ebelt 20 is preferably formed of soft leather similar to thatused on long draft spinning machines and is held in juxtaposition toroll I by guide pulleys 22, 24 and 25 which are non-driven but are freeto rotate during the movement of the belt 20. It will be understood thatthe filaments of the tow are substantially parallel and that web 2. iswide enough to press the fibers against roll II for the full width ofthe tow. The pressure of belt 20 against the fibers on the roll IQ isnot suflicient to break the filaments but is adjusted so that the fibersare held against the roll ll so that during the operation of the machinethe rupture r 2 point P located between the bight between rolls I 4 andI8 and the point at which belt 2. passes between front roll Ill and beltroll 2|. Belt 2. is in operative peripheral engagement against roll IIIfor about half of the circumference of said roll, substantially asindicated in the drawings, so that when the fibers pass between thefront roll l0 and the companion pressure roll I! they are ruptured atabout said point P. It will be readily understood that the filamentstend to break in the region indicated at P and hence the lengths of thefibers correspond substantially to the linear distance from the bight ofrolls l0 and If to a point located between the bight of rolls I4 and i8and the point at which belt 20 is held by roll 24 against front roll it.It will be understood that belt rolls 24 and 26 may be mounted in anyway for adjustment in order to adJust the pressure of said belt againstthe peripherally ex,- tending portion of roll 10. From the front rollsin and I2, the fiber staple passes to a spinning device 28, here shownas a cap spinner, but it will be understood that a ring spinning device,a fiyer spinning device, or anyother suitable spinning device may beused instead of the illustrated type of spinner.

In my application Ser. No. 640,727, filed January 12, 1946, nowabandoned, I have shown a direct spinning machine in which the diameterof the front roll, which corresponds to the abovementioned front rollI0, is about 3". In the present case, the diameter of the front roll itis preferably about 6". It will be understood, however, that althoughthis dimension is presently preferred, it is to be considered asillustrative but without limitation in respect to the diameter of saidroll. Also, it will be understood that while I have shown only one setof front rolls and back rolls and a companion belt 20, the machine maybe providedwith a. plurality-of sets of front and back rolls, companionpressure belts, respectively, 4

and companion spinning devices as illustrated in said prior application.

Various changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement ofparts may be made in the above described machine without departing fromthe underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope'ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. In a machine for producing staple fibers from continuous filaments,said machine comprising two pairs of driven rolls which are operable totension and rupture the filaments into of the filaments of the tow 1"occurs at about the II the staple fibers. while said filaments pass fromone of said pairs of rolls to the other of said pairs of rolls; amovable flexible web mounted in juxtaposition to one of the rolls ofsaid other pair for pressing the fibers against the peripheral surfaceof said one of the rolls, said web being free of engagement with theother roll of said other pair.

2. In a machine for producing staple fibers from continuous filaments,said machine comprising two pairs of driven rolls which are operable totension and rupture the filaments into the staple fibers while saidfilaments pass from one of said pairs of rolls to the other of saidpairs of rolls, said last mentioned pair of rolls comprising one rollover which the fibers pass and a companion pressure roll; thecombination with said one roll of a movable flexible web mounted injuxtaposition to said one roll for pressing the fibers against theperipheral surface pressure roll whereby the lengths of said staplefibers correspond substantially to the linear dis-, tance from the bightof said front rolls to a point filaments as they pass from said backrolls to said front rolls, said front rolls comprising one roll overwhich said fibers pass and a pressure roll,

and means disposed between said back rolls and -said pressure roll forpressing the fibers against the peripheral surface of said one rollduring the 1 movement of the fibers to said pressure roll, and a thereofback of said pressure roll, the rear-most 4 continuous filaments,comprising, in combination, a front pair of rolls and a back pair ofrolls which are operable to tension and rupture the filaments as theypass from said back rolls to said front rolls, said front rollscomprising one roll over which said fibers pass and a pressure roll andmeans disposed between said back rolls and said pressure roll forpressing the fibers against the'peripheral surface of said one rollduring the movement of the fibers to said pressure roll, the rear-mostportion of said means in the direction in which said filaments passbeing disposed forwardly of said back pair of rolls and the forwardmostportion thereof being disposed back of said spinning device in advanceof said pressure roll for spinning said fibers into yarn, the rear-mostportion of said means in the direction in which said filaments passbeing disposed forwardly of said back pair of rolls and the forward-mostportion thereof being. disposed back of said pressure roll whereby thelengths of said staple fibers correspond-substantially to the lineardistance from the bight 01' said front rolls to a point between thebight of said back rolls and said rear-most portion.

CHARLES EUGENE NEISLER, JR.

REFERENCES crrEn 'The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent: I

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,883,384 Lohrke et a1 Oct. 18,1932 2,366,785 Hays Jan. 9, 1945 2,435,157 Piron Jan. 27, 1948 FOREIGNPATENTS I Number Country Date 384,822 Great'Britain Dec. 15, 1932

